President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca this morning sent a strong message to politicians – and not only – to be careful not to reopen “old wounds” with “irrational discourse (that) can and will bring divisions and harmful divergences within our families, our community and at our places of work”.

In an opinion piece written on Times of Malta, the president did not once mention Panamagate or the people involved in the scandal, but her words were clearly directed to the prevailing political situation in Malta. It is uncommon for a President to speak the way Dr Coleiro Preca did today, and this is yet another confirmation that the current times have concerned the Head of State so much that she felt the need to send a message to the country.

“Politicians have a long-term duty and responsibility to keep our nation together and of fostering unity among our people,” she wrote in her introduction.

“As leaders, we should dedicate our lives to work tirelessly for long-term unity if we truly have the good of our people at heart.”

“Unity is not a convenience but a must for our nation’s well-being. Unity...is a hard-won value that is achieved by everyone’s efforts, through respect, dignity and tolerance.”

The President goes on to mention the rifts that our country experienced in the 1960s and 1980s, adding that she believed that such incidents “resulting from destructive divergences and political short-sightedness are relegated to history”.

But, without mentioning the current political storm the country is going through, the President wrote that “we cannot allow our democracy to be diluted. We cannot shed our responsibilities for short-term political gains. This will only serve the few and not our nation.

“We must rise above party political pique, which frequently creates undignified and bitter situations. We need to recognise the fact that there is nothing wrong with offering constructive criticism towards each other. On the contrary constructive criticism strengthens democracy. In reality, it is the norm in a democracy to criticise, to protest and to tender arguments and counter-arguments. And it is the duty of our political leaders to make sure that these never escalate into dangerous situations.

“It always takes two to tango. Hence, on behalf of the people, I urge our political leaders to realise that short-term gains achieved by escalating tempers will not serve the purpose of our nation but will only serve the short-sightedness, once again, of the few.

“Malta and the Maltese deserve much better. The Maltese expect common sense and wisdom to prevail.

“Unfortunately, we are already experiencing exchanges of insults and unbecoming discourse between family members and friends, particularly on social media.

“Such negative interactions between us are not only hurtful but they instil a sense of disquiet and anxiety among our families and our communities.

“I therefore appeal to everyone to respect one another through our words and actions, whether verbally or through the social media. Irrational discourse can and will bring divisions and harmful divergences without or families, our community and at our places of work

“Just as some of us still remember the old wounds, let us not reopen such abhorrence and let us be careful not to instil hatred among ourselves. We have a duty to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

“We have a duty to ensure a better life for our children.

“We have a duty to ensure prosperity, peace and well-being for future generations.”